Charlotte Easily Elects Democratic Mayor; Colorado Has Big, Big Rejection of Tax Increase to Support Education, Tea Party Radical Loses in Alabama and Virginia Attorney General Race is a Tie

Mixed, Mostly Positive Election Results for 2013

This Forum targeted four key races for examination, the key element being that these races were important barometers of the nation’s political attitudes and were going to be largely ignored by the lazy media.  The results were mixed, but overall indicated the political health of the nation is improving.

1. In Charlotte a centrist Democrat beat a centrist Republican.  Charlotte had been governed by Republican mayors for over 20 years until 2009, and the question in the 2013 race was whether or not Republicans could win after taking control of and alienating many North Carolinians.  The victory by the Democrat said no, but the reasonable showing by the Republican said moderate Republicans can compete in strongly Democratic areas.

2. In Colorado voters soundly rejected an income tax restructuring and increase despite almost no organized opposition to the measure.  As the nation gets an older and more selfish population the funding for education is not going to be there.  The same people worried about a national debt which burdens future generations (actually it doesn’t) are not worried about imposing the burden of lack of education on those generations.

3. In Alabama the establishment Republicans successfully fought back against the radical Tea Party Republicans, with the establishment candidate winning by a comfortable but not commanding margin.  Combined with the loss of Tea Party favorite Ken Cuccinelli in Virginia and the massive win by non-Tea Party candidate Chris Christie in New Jersey it was not a good night for radicals.

4. In Virginia the only really competitive race, the race for Attorney General between a highly conservative candidate trying to deny he is a conservative and the Democratic candidate is a tie.  Well not exactly a tie, but the outcome will not be known for weeks. As a swing state Virginia was divided on this race, which is not unexpected, the state strongly mirrors the nation.  The experts predicted this race would be close.  For once the experts were right, but  statistics says they have to be every now and then.